


Perfect Imperfections

by AlyEb



Series: If Music Be The Food Of Love [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blood, Cackles evily into the night, Cackles evily into the noon, Death, Even though its more around 3 in the afternoon, Evil Cackling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I can write fluff if I want to!, I need to stop killing everyone, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Probably not going to happen, Sounds like a Game of Thrones wedding, The sun?, Weddings, something
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 08:48:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2061699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyEb/pseuds/AlyEb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For years, Steve and Tony have been obsessing over Steve's extended life and Tonys inevitable death. Neither want to waste any more time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perfect Imperfections

_Blood pooled around his hands as he pressed them, trembling, to the wound. Terror coursed through his veins, but he held together. Now was not the time to break down._

\---

Tony Stark was a master at hiding emotions under a sheet of arrogance, of glamor, or indifference. With Howard as his father and cameras following his every move since he was born it has long since become a second skin. Eyes narrowed slightly, eyebrows scrunched together just the slightest, mouth curved down the barest amount at the corners - disappointment invisible to anyone who may wander out into the cool night air from the party inside. All except, that is, for Steve.

“Care to dance?”

Tony looked up from the bright screen of his phone to the hand extended out towards him and the body subsequently attached, face going slack for a moment before settling into a warm smile. Placing his phone on the stone ledge he was leaning against, he took the hand that was offered and allowed Steve to pull him into his warm embrace. With strong arms cocooning him they twirled together slowly to the fast paced music drifting out from the throng of celebrating heroes. Resting his head in the crook of Steve's neck, Tony felt the tension from earlier drain out from his body as they swayed out of tune to the music.

“You were looking again.” Steve’s soft voice broke the relative silence - it wasn’t a question. Tony shifted his head, letting out a huff of air.

“Of course I was.”

“Tony,” Steve began slowly, “you need to let this go. We’ve been looking for years, if we haven’t found a solution by now then there may not be one.” Tony felt those words as if they were a blow to his chest. They both knew what Steve said was true, but neither had voiced it - it felt too much like giving up.

\---

_“Steve,” Tony shook him gently, hand fisted in his clothing. “Come on, Cap. You’re not going to let a little scratch take you down. I’ll never let you forget it.” Steve’s eyelids fluttered open and Tony breathed a wobbly sigh of relief._

\---

“I don’t know if I can accept that.” The song was ending, but they kept swaying as the next one began - a slow song more suited to their pace.

“Tony-”

“No, Steve. Every day I get older while you stay the same. People will look at us and they won’t see us as we are now; they’ll see a seventy or eighty year old man with this twenty-nine year old. A gold-digger and a cradle robber,” Tony spat venomously. Unable to look Steve in the eye, his gaze had drifted off to the side, his lip curled and face scrunched up in an ugly expression. “Its not fair to you, to be stuck with an old geezer who could end up getting Alzheimer, or osteoporosis, or - God - even has to wear Depends because they can’t even control their goddamn blad-” Steve caught Tony’s lips mid word with his own, effectively silencing him.

“You’re an idiot,” Steve said when they broke apart, swaying again to the music. “I don’t care about all that. All I care about is you.” The chorus of the song was just beginning when Steve began to sing along softly.

_'Cause all of me_  
 _Loves all of you_  
 _Love your curves and all your edges_  
 _All your perfect imperfections_  
 _Give your all to me_  
 _I'll give my all to you_  
 _You're my end and my beginning_  
 _Even when I lose I'm winning_  
 _'Cause I give you all of me_  
 _And you give me all of you, ohoh_

_How many times do I have to tell you_  
 _Even when you're crying you're beautiful too_  
 _The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood_  
 _You're my downfall, you're my muse_  
 _My worst distraction,_  
Steve ducked his head, catching Tony’s lips, kissing through the rhythm and blues  
 _I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you_

Bending down, Steve wrapped his arms around Tony’ thighs and lifted him into the air, spinning him around and singing loudly and off tune. Tony grabbed for Steve’s shoulders, grin on his face, laughing through it all.

_My head's under water_  
 _But I'm breathing fine_  
 _You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_

When he stopped spinning, Tony opened his eyes, locking them on Steve baby blues. Steve loosened his arms a fraction, just enough to let Tony slide back down in his embrace.

“Damn it all,” Tony whispered, a slight shake to his head. After all these years he still wondered what he did to deserve Steve. He was everything Tony was not. He was light and goodness, kind and sensitive and funny. He always knew the right things to say or do... and he loved Tony when he had every reason to run away. Tony was arrogant and egotistical, would stay up half the night and sleep half the day, had more than his share of emotional baggage and daddy issues, he made weapons that took American lives for Christs sake! He was a weapons developer, the Merchant of Death! He was… he was Iron Man. Co-leader and one of the founders of the Avengers. He quit the weapons making business for those very reasons. Tony would always be atoning for his sins, but he has long ago left those titles behind.

If Captain America loved him, then maybe he did deserve happiness.

\---

_“I do,” Steve choked out, blood trailing down the side of his face from the corner of his mouth. He eyed the priest a few feet away, shaking on the ground, surrounded by debris. “I do.”_

\---

“Marry me.”

Steve blinked. “What?”

“Marry me,” Tony repeated. “If we really are doing this, then I don’t want to waste any more time.”

"Marry you."

"Marry me!"

“Yes!” Steve said, laughing fiercely, face engulfed in a toothy grin.  He pulled Tony closer to him, voice dropping to a breathy whisper. "Yes, I'll marry you." Faces just inches apart, their breaths mixed in the space between them. Tony leaned forward, closing the distance to seal the proposal with a kiss only to jump back at the sudden flash of bright white light. In the doorway to the ballroom where the previously forgotten party was still taking place, Peter Parker stood, camera in hand, along with every other hero and guest in the mansion.

A sheepish smile overcame Peters face as he realized he had interrupted and subsequently drawn the attention of his subjects. A collective groan went up from the crowd, along with a chorus of "Peter!" and even some wadded up paper tossed at his head.

Tony gaped at the crowd of observers, mouth hanging open before he snapped it shut. “I-I- What- You--” He stuttered with the intelligence of a man his intellect.

“What?” Clint gasped at the edge of the crowd, hand over his heart. “The Great Tony Stark? Speechless? That’s a first.”

“Shut up, you ass.” Tony threw back, finally finding his voice. “Why are you all…? Did you all just suddenly make a habit of lurking in doorways, listening in on others?”

“Suddenly?” Sam spoke up from the back of the group. “There’s no suddenly about it. Who do you think we are?”

“If you didn’t want to draw attention,” Jan joined, “then you shouldn’t have sung so loudly… or so terrible.” A few people chuckled. “You’re bound to draw attention.”

\---

_Steve's face was pale, too pale. His eyes were starting to droop. “Hey! Hey, Steve. None of that. You need to stay awake, okay? How does it feel to be married, Mr. Stark-Rogers?”  Tony saw his lips move, but no sound emerged.  
_

_“What was that? Repeat that for me, sweetheart.” Tony trembled.  
_

_“Not Stark-Rogers,” Steve mumbled, breath coming in ragged drags. “Stark. Steven Stark.”_

\---

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tony asked, once the party was done and everyone had gone home. “Once I get that ring on your finger I’m not letting you go. You’ll be mine forever.”

Steve just smiled and brought Tony's left hand up, kissing his ring finger. “Forever,” he promised.

\---

_Tony never heard the screams, nor did he feel the arms grasp him, attempting to drag him away. All he knew was the limp form in his arms as he rocked back and forth. Glistening tears streamed down his face, falling onto dark material, disappearing as if they never were there._

'Cause all of me  
Loves all of you  
Love your curves and all your edges  
All your perfect imperfections  
Give your all to me  
I'll give my all to you  
You're my end and my beginning  
Even when I lose I'm winning  
'Cause I give you all of me  
And you give me all of you

**Author's Note:**

> All of me - John Legend


End file.
